Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. Save Word. Definition of stern Entry 1 of 4. Definition of stern Entry 2 of 4. Stern biographical name 1. Definition of Stern Entry 3 of 4. Isaac — American Russian-born violinist. Stern biographical name 2. Definition of Stern Entry 4 of 4. Otto — American German-born physicist. Other Words from stern Adjective sternly adverb.
Cognate with stern, stornen, stuurs, stursk. Etymology: [Icel. See Steer, v. The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section of the ship, but eventually came to refer to the entire back of a vessel. The stern end of a ship is indicated with a white navigation light at night.
Sterns on European and American wooden sailing ships began with two principal forms: the square or transom stern and the elliptical, fantail, or merchant stern, and were developed in that order. The hull sections of a sailing ship located before the stern are composed of a series of U-shaped rib-like frames set in a sloped or "cant" arrangement, with the last frame before the stern being called the fashion timber or fashion piece, so called for "fashioning" the after part of the ship.
This frame is designed to support the various beams that make up the stern. In the British naval architect Sir Robert Seppings first introduced the concept of the round or circular stern. The square stern had been an easy target for enemy cannon, and could not support the weight of heavy stern chase guns. But Seppings' design left the rudder head exposed, and was regarded by many as simply ugly—no American warships were designed with such sterns, and the round stern was quickly superseded by the elliptical stern.
The United States began building the first elliptical stern warship in , a decade before the British. The USS Brandywine became the first sailing ship to sport such a stern. Though a great improvement over the transom stern in terms of its vulnerability to attack when under fire, elliptical sterns still had obvious weaknesses which the next major stern development—the iron-hulled cruiser stern—addressed far better and with much different materials. Sterned , having a stern of a specified kind.
The after-part of a ship, ending in the taffarel above and the counters below. The condition of a vessel which draws more water abaft than forward. Rear Violinist. Saint Teresa of Avila :. This hit the port quarter, picked up the ship and broke the stern off, the guys were sleeping back there, we lost a lot.
The definition of stern is someone who is very serious or strict. Grim and forbidding in appearance. Difficult to endure; oppressive. Hard; severe; unyielding; strict. Unshakable; firm. Relentless; inexorable. The rear end of a ship or boat. A rear part or section. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. English American Translations. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:.
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